5 Things to Know About Remote Work and HR

In 2020 we learned to working remotely was possibly in todays world of technology. We have all had to adjust to make it work and to be productive. Working remotely has become normal, thus addressing human resources also have to rise to the occasion. HR becomes even more important in our current situation with remote working and here are 10 things to note.

1. Remote Work – Comes with flexibility or work and work hours. It is important all staff understand what “work hours” means and it is clearly defined in your remote work policy. The staff needs to know if sick and unable to work, leadership still needs to be notified to make sure sick time is accounted for just as it would if they were commuting to an office.
2. Tracking Time – Is important and time management tools have increased their need in today’s work environment. With technology available today, we can make sure clocking in is done based on various parameters. There is geofencing, remote access time clocks, and more. Geofencing for instance, helps in making sure staff is not clocking in while having brunch with friends away from their designated place of work(home). Mandating IP address logins is another way to make sure the employee is actually clocking in from the computer which was designated for work. While it may sound intrusive, this may be needed to make sure all employees are abiding by work policies associated with the specific company.
3. Performance Matters – While working remote, it is more important to clearly outline expectations and staff duties. Performance matters to the company and issues can arise if expectations and duties are not outlined. In addition, if issues do arise, HR is all about documentation. With NaviPay, you can have solutions which help you communicate to staff through technology to know these expectations have been sent, received and acknowledged.
4. Security – Is also an important point to consider when allowing staff to work from home. Setting clear security procedures is a must. Internet security must be emphasized to make sure public Wi-Fi connections are not being used. Depending on your industry you may also want to setup a VPN to dial into office servers or computers making your network more secure.
5. Employee Morale – Loneliness can be something to think about when it comes to working from home. Staff can feel isolated or lonely when working remotely. For better or worse our guidelines in Florida have not been as strict as other states with stay-at-home orders other states are imposing. If you have staff in other states this is something to keep tabs on. We are all finding different ways to connect with each other and have to be resourceful when it comes to making up for team building events were used to or even little things like Birthday or Retirement celebrations.

All in all, there are many ways to ensure staff is working securely, comfortably, and adequately. In the end the most important part we see is to make sure these measures and expectations are set on a company wide basis so all staff understand what is expected of them and are able to communicate any deficiencies they see on their end.